sellout

1 of 2

noun

sell·​out ˈsel-ˌau̇t 

1

: the act or an instance of selling out

2

: something sold out

especially : something (such as a concert or contest) for which all tickets are sold

3

: one who sells out

sell out

2 of 2

verb

sold out; selling out; sells out

transitive verb

1

: to sell the goods of (a debtor) in order to satisfy creditors

2

: to sell security or commodity holdings of usually to satisfy an uncovered margin

3

a

: to sell all the available tickets for

sold out the concert

b

: to sell all of

the merchandise was quickly sold out

intransitive verb

1

: to dispose of one's goods by sale

especially : to sell one's business

2

: to betray one's cause or associates especially for personal gain

3

: to be or achieve a sellout

Synonyms of sellout

Noun

• betrayal
• treachery
• treason

Examples of sellout in a Sentence

Noun

The concert was a sellout.

The union sees the deal as a sellout.

Angry fans called him a sellout when he started appearing in television commercials.

Verb

the band sold out its faithful followers, abandoning its edgy style for a more commercial sound

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Montgomery hit a solo shot in the fifth, helping the Sox to a season-high fourth consecutive victory in front of a sellout crowd of 43,638 at Petco Park. —Lamond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 2 May 2026

The future has finally arrived in Orange County, and the raucous sellout crowds that have supported this team all season long are loving the return of playoff hockey for the team that won California’s first Stanley Cup in 2007. —Greg Beacham, Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2026

Verb

Her book tour sold out about thirty arenas, including Chicago’s United Center, where fourteen thousand people paid to see her in conversation with Winfrey. —Peter Slevin, New Yorker, 4 May 2026

The defending champs sold out all 8,700 season-ticket memberships for the 2026 season with a 92% renewal rate from the previous season, becoming the first team in league history to sell out season ticket allotments for three consecutive years, the person said. —Michael Ozanian, CNBC, 4 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1859, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1796, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for sellout

• about
• bailout
• blackout
• blowout
• breakout
• burnout
• buyout
• checkout
• closeout
• cutout
• devout
• dropout

Kids Definition

sellout

1 of 2 noun

sell·​out ˈsel-ˌau̇t 

1

: the act or an instance of selling out

2

: a show, contest, or exhibition for which all seats are sold

sell out

2 of 2 verb

(ˈ)sel-ˈau̇t

: to dispose of all of one's goods by sale